I swear you’ll never see a weekend like this ever again

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3:27Luke Moore: Be happy when the sun shines everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Chelsea had a huddle and Max Downman got a cuddle. It's Monday 16th of March. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Luke Moore. And I'm Jim Campbell.

3:51Luke Moore: Hello, everybody. Just like that, the weekend was over. But fear not, we're here to entertain you, lift your spirits, and guide you all the way back to Friday. But we're not going to do that today. We're going to do that throughout the week. How can I hate Mondays? The Rambles released on one. There you are. Yeah? Jim Campbell smiling away. Look at him. Yeah, just enjoying my Monday. Name on the trophy. Do you want to say something about the Max Dalman cuddle thing at the start? What do you mean? He's only 16. So you might want to just make it clear that it was perfectly appropriate. Yeah. He had to get changed in a different restaurant room, didn't he?

4:21Luke Moore: He did. Yeah. Did he really? Yeah, he has to. He's too young. It's a safeguarding thing, isn't it? Oh, is that right? Yeah. So you want to be dishing out cuddles to 16-year-olds willy-nilly is all I'm saying. He's a very special 16-year-old. Yes. Of course, all 16-year-olds are special, but some are more special than others. I just want to make sure for your reputation, your hard-won, hard-fought longevity reputation, that you make it clear that the Max Downman cuddle thing was appropriate. Well, you saw the scenes of celebration, did you not? They were excellent. And did he get a cuddle or not?

4:49He did. He got several. There you are. He got a huddle, really.

4:52Luke Moore: He did. Paul Terny popped up in the middle. Hey! Arsenal 2, Everton 0. My goodness. They left it late, Jim Campbell. But Max Downman, he made history by becoming the youngest ever Premier League goalscorer. And you witnessed it. I did. And it really was, even in the moment clear that this is one of those I was there moments, which was an amazing thing to behold because, you know, a lot of the narrative about Arsenal recently rightly has been about how there's almost been a sort of tactical filibustering within their games where it's very, very tight. It's very cagey. It's very risk averse. And as a result of that, it's actually quite dull.

5:33Luke Moore: They're very, very hard to beat, but it's not been that much fun for a while. but this was this was really different and obviously you know once they get the goals that becomes the narrative was it that different? I thought so they had they had way more shots than they have done lately I think Eberachie Eze had I think seven from outside the box so a crazy amount of shots in this game compared to what would be a crazy amount do you reckon? a crazy amount would be either zero or like 40 no but you said seven is a crazy amount I want to know what the cut off is seven shots yes what I'm saying player from outside the box.

6:08Luke Moore: I think seven meets that threshold. I agree with you. I just want to know what the cutoff is. I'm just interested. Six. Okay, fine. In which case, he satisfied that threshold. Yeah, there we go. Well done to him. It's a good score. Crazy shooting afternoon. I agree. I think a player having seven shots from outside the box is kind of late stage Ronaldo stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's late stage chasing a record of Ronaldo stuff, isn't he? Yeah, Charlie Adam would be proud. He would. He'd have seven from his own half. Who is it that went mad? Jamie Carrey did that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's great. a couple of feet off his line, I can do it.

6:40Luke Moore: Well, yeah, I mean, the moment of the game, obviously, Jocker has scored late on, but that Max Downman goal, Luke Moore, come on. It was a proper where were you moment. It signifies Max Downman's proper arrival on the scene. It already feels like an iconic Premier League moment, I think. The manner of the goal was really impressive. I know the goalkeepers come out to try and mend for an earlier mistake and get an equaliser. but it still has so much to do. Yeah, he did. And at 16 years old, it's kind of interesting that it's a very, very different type of goal to the one Rooney scored for Everton against Arsenal.

7:21Yeah, yeah. But the vibes feel similar. He's fresh onto the pitch, obviously. He's got the exuberance of youth but he goes past two players using great strength and skill in a way that they're not even there and seals an iconic win which could be absolutely vital and probably will be absolutely vital for Arsenal winning the Premier League this season. It's one of those goals that feels iconic now, as I've said, but probably will feel more iconic in retrospect when Arsenal lift the Premier League title.

7:49Luke Moore: I mean, he was the coolest, I would say man, but not a man. He was the coolest person in the Everett Stadium when he got the ball. I was really pleased for him as well. Because had he have just shot, then that would have been perfectly fine. Yeah. Because you think, well, even if it's just for the time waste and just get it up the other end, but to have that calmness. But his strength is his dribbling. his strength is his close ball control it's quite interesting how a lot of what he's doing at the moment at his age is probably quite instinctive and I think for him the comfort and the instinct is based around having the ball at his feet and taking players on I mean I think one of the guys was saying that he came on with 15 minutes left and he completed more dribbles than anyone else on the pitch or something he was the best player on the pitch when he came on he absolutely changed the game and that's the key thing here about Darwin I think people listening or watching who maybe aren't as nerdy about football as we are might be asking why is it different?

8:37We see young players do really well all the time. There's loads of players who've scored goals really young and you never really hear of them again. It's one-off things. The thing with Dalman is he doesn't look like, he doesn't just look like he belongs in the Premier League at 16. And don't forget, he's not 17 until New Year's Eve, right? So he's not actually that long 16. He looks like he belongs at the best team in the Premier League and potentially the best team in Europe. And when he plays, He's one of the better players. So the levels are very, very different to look at this kid coming on in the League Cup for 10 minutes, you know, as a reward for a great week's training or whatever.

9:16This is a kid who Mikel Arteta was saying at the start of the season, he's going to be part of the first team squad this season. And obviously they're going to protect him and look after him and they need to do that. But if his head's screwed on and if he makes all the right decisions and there's a few ives in there that are really important, obviously, he could be an icon of the Premier League. He can go on to become one of the best players in the world. I think he is as good as any young player I've seen in the Premier League since Rooney. I think he's the best young player since Wayne Rooney in the Premier League.

9:44Luke Moore: There's a maturity about him when he's got the ball. That's a massive part of it as well. Well, also, not just when he's got the ball. Obviously, you know, you touched on what he actually had to do to score the goal there, Luke. But I love that little cushioned header that makes him the space in the first place. And then the way he glides away from Dewsbury Hall and Mikalenko. but also after Victor Jokerez scores he's the first person jumping on his back basically strangling him Declan Rice has spoken about how confident he is in the dressing room and how it's almost confusing to the rest of the kind of more senior players that he's so confident it's a particularly unusual level of kind of maturity that he has he appears to be sort of very ready for this challenge and Arteta has spoken before about how he's in the first team to contribute because he thinks he's ready to do it and there have been a few games where he's come on and obviously, you know, in some cases he was quite literally 15 and it felt a little bit like a kind of Hail Mary or perhaps even slightly gimmicky.

10:39Luke Moore: There was a bit earlier in the season when they were looking for a goal and they brought him on. It felt weird. Yeah, but this was different from that and he's obviously there to contribute and he's done that. You can see why Arteta was thinking, you know, we need something. He's good enough. Would you like to answer on my behalf a lot of the messages that I've received about Max Dalman? World Cup this summer, Jim. Well, if they are considering the World Cup and you hear headlines like, what, he dribbled past Mikhellenko? Yeah. He dribbled past Jewsbury Hall. Okay. Yeah. Okay. And he scored. Great.

11:13Yeah. I don't think he's the only 16-year-old in the country that could dribble past Mikhellenko is all I'm saying.

11:18Luke Moore: I would like to defer the question to Theo Walcott. Yeah. Is that what he thinks? Who was in 2010, which is the year Max Down was born, the year before. He must have been born in 2000. Have a quick Google. It's difficult because he was New Year's Eve. It's really hard to work out. You carry on. I'm going to look it up. Yeah. Well, I think it's unlikely. 2009 he was born. Ah, that's ruined it. That's ruined it because the Walcott thing was 2010. I remember it well, yes. And obviously Walcott further announced himself on the international stage by having an incredible impact in 2010, didn't he? One we will never forget.

11:49Never.

11:50Luke Moore: Nor should we. But could I just make one more point about Darwin? Yeah. Is that when you see him, play, it always reminds me of when certain top-level players, I think Rooney, I think he's really good, Rooney might have actually said it, when everything appears to be in slow motion, they just see things a lot quicker, and they realise almost instinctively in the moment, their brain works in a certain level where they've got so much time to make decisions, it makes other players look stupid. and Rooney's talked about how he would go down to the dressing room for Everton and lay his kit out and visualise what he was doing and you know things people like Ian Wright talking about when he came into the top level football and said he couldn't believe how slow everyone was that's his way of saying I'm able to make decisions so much quicker it's not just that he's physically fastened them which of course he was it's about the brain power as well and I just think we should be super excited about him I don't think he should go to the World Cup but I do think we should be really excited about what he's going to do next yeah well let's we forget there was a game of football that he was playing in and he sort of capped it off quite wonderfully well.

12:59Luke Moore: So Jim, you said it was a different type of performance from Arsenal and your shots and so on. And look, you were at the game. Just for me watching, and admittedly I was watching the highlights again, which is why I'm sort of quite curious. From what I saw and sort of read, you know, on another day Everton would have scored, you know, Dwight McNeil has one off the post. Everton seemed to equip themselves really well. If it wasn't for a bit of a rush of blood to the head by Jordan Pickford late on, would Arsenal I mean did they create that much? They had a lot of shots like I say there weren't other than the goals many chances where you think oh they absolutely should have put that way I grant you that but they were definitely a lot more creative generally they were happy to shoot from distance it appeared to be a tactic because obviously Everton it's very interesting watching the game in the stadium they had it became very clear watching this game in particular why Arsenal funnel everything out wide and it's become a sort of league-wide trend of teams are almost setting traps in the middle.

13:55Luke Moore: Which is why other teams are avoiding it because they're just ready to sort of hit you on the counter so, so well. And every time they're very good at that, they're very organised. They had a lot of really good individual performances. James Garner stood out again. And obviously they were quite unlucky with Iliman and Jai. Had one that kind of came back off the post to him. As you say, it could have been a different game. The margin is very tight on that. But I just thought Arsenal were a lot more inventive and a lot more creative than we've seen from them in a couple of recent games. It felt deliberate as well.

14:22Luke Moore: It was very much more of a home performance as well, which is something that's very, very welcome. Do you think Kavericks should have had a penalty? I do, yeah. I wasn't sure at the time because we're down the other end of that. Because Havericks has a bit of a reputation for taking a tumble a bit easily, not unreasonably, because there was one against Man United where he absolutely dived, won a penalty. The goalkeeper saved it anyway. But I wonder if that was perhaps in people's minds. But seeing it back, there's absolutely contact. And it's at the back of his foot. But yeah, I thought that would have been a penalty.

14:52Luke Moore: I mean, it's completely accidental from Keane, was it? Who made the, what would you even call it, challenge? The connection, if you like. I thought it probably was a penalty, actually. I didn't think it was any, one of those ones. But clearly Havertz was impeded. I agree. Now you've mentioned it, I agree. But maybe this time, I'd actually forgotten about that until you brought it up then. So I think that's a big deal. Enough happened later on. It's interesting what Jim said about how he viewed the Arsenal performance throughout the game and I wasn't, so different experiences. I actually thought it was pretty close to being an almost perfect away performance for Memphis.

15:27Well, I thought that as well. They were very unlucky to not score when they were making the running early in the game. That one back off the post was really unfortunate.

15:34Luke Moore: I mean, that block from California. California. I think Rhea saves that anyway, but it was a good block. But Rhea also made other saves that perhaps you're talking about. And then, obviously, in the final minute of the game, Pickford makes a decision and look, it's a rush of blood or whatever you want to call it and Pickford has got that in his locker but the reality is if you're a goalkeeper and you're going to make that decision you've got to get it if you come that far you've got to get it I think that totally changes the dynamic of the game and in fact you could even say that the difference between Man City you know say West Ham's discipline we'll talk about that in a moment and Everton's discipline the difference between the two points that Arsenal have gained was that rush of blood it was yeah because that totally informs Downman's goal oh yeah of course there's also Mikelenko kind of switches off and gives Downman that space so those tiny tiny moments I felt in the second half essentially the whole of it felt like the last 10 minutes of the game in the way that Arsenal were plugging away there was a bit of urgency yeah and they were rewarded for that yeah I mean I suppose yeah I take that I think that definitely they came across in the highlights and what you're saying is the urgency of Arsenal for me not that they will give two hoots it was there's an element of of fortune certainly with that Jokeres goal but look you take it and that's what Jokeres has been signed for by the way well indeed I mean look I don't want to I don't want to over egg this but he scores goals against shit teams yeah yeah but that's and Everton aren't shit and they weren't shit in the game but generally speaking and Inter aren't shit I know that Fred Boe made the point at the weekend that Havertz probably wouldn't have been in that position because of how he plays the centre forward run I thought that was interesting yeah that's probably fair but Jokeres I mean this might come out to bite me now but Jokeres isn't gonna you know open a lock for you in a massive knockout game in the Champions League against a really good team.

17:23He's a hammer, isn't he? Yeah, basically. He's not a pick. Yeah, exactly.

17:26Luke Moore: Yeah, well, did he thigh it in to score that goal? It was certainly a close range of... But look, they did it. No, it was actually off of Hincapier's nuts. Oh, is that what it was? And that went down for Jokras, just tap it. Yeah, okay, there you go. That's why I'm getting players and their body parts mixed up. Again, you've got in trouble for that. Yeah, exactly, yeah. You've got to be careful these days, mate. Very careful. look it was a win for Arsenal and a huge win and a number of times recently Arsenal have played after Manchester City well the roles were reversed this time and Man City couldn't raise their game enough to get three points and stay with the same gap with Arsenal because they drew one all at West Ham and this was a very well organised and disciplined performance from West Ham United yeah it was and I mean Mavropanos Dino Mavropanos has got a lot of applaudits not just for his goal and not just for the ball he took in the face from Erling Haaland but it was a huge performance from him it was like a sleeper agent being activated on Arsenal's behalf that ball in the face was something else have you seen the still image of the ball just looked like a semicircle in his face it's incredible Mads Hermanson had a really good game he did and he's had a really tough time with it when he first came to West Ham I'm not going to say the words some people might say the words laughing stock and he was certainly used as a lightning rod with which to criticise West Ham and their strategy and the way the club's run.

18:55He came in for lots of money, he was bombed out after a few games. For him to perform like that against Man City in a really important game in the context of the Premier League, I thought was really good. I was really pleased for him, actually.

19:06Luke Moore: Definitely. I mean, you know, I know there's been a little bit of time since, you know, West Ham were really bad under Nuno. but it does like again that that discipline and an organisation that they had against Man City and it was a very good point for them you have to say but I mean it really is night and day compare this to a couple of months ago or whenever it was at the turn of the year the way it was going you thought West Ham are down now I appreciate they are still in the relegation zone that's why I'll tell you not to look at the Premier League table too early mate but I'm looking at it now you can look at it now I've told you I've given you permission the gates are open and they're still in the relegation zone they are but someone being in a quote relegation battle in fucking October is admittedly unless you walls I did say January fine even then it still is a lot of there's a lot of water to go under that bridge there is but in January under Nuno we were thinking are they going to are they going to twist again I agree with your point you made on WhatsApp over the weekend so it feels like two different managers yeah it does yeah and you wouldn't have thought he would get that you know because again it seemed so bad maybe he started wearing a mask perhaps perhaps it's a new bloke new kid on the block yeah you're gonna respect him yeah or just a wiggle do I don't know turn your head upside down whatever you want but like a game of guess who he does like a guess who character he does actually yeah he does has he got a beard yes there you go so I think yeah with the difference you know there was talk about that he was distant with the players you know it all sounded really really bad look at this they are they're they're singing from the same hymn sheet there's no doubt about that and again I appreciate they are still 18 but they're really organised now though aren't they but my goodness you know you look at the again you glance at the table the last six games and we talk a little bit more about relegation when we talk about Spurs and Liverpool later but form wise sounds ridiculous indeed it does it only concerns one of those teams but still but which one tune in after the break well it was based on exciting football it could be both of them but West Ham they are again there's there's a there's real belief there that they can do this which again at home in that stadium when I appreciate it's not Manchester City of yesteryear, but still they come to town and they're buzzing after getting a point.

21:20Luke Moore: It shows you how times have changed. But look, let's focus on Manchester City. You know, nine points behind Arsenal. They do have a game in hand. Pep Guardiola claimed that the title race is not over because his team did not lose. They got a point, presumably a precious point from his point of view. Although the way the game played out, they were ahead initially only for a few minutes, admittedly, but they then had a fair old chunk of the game to get a second. They didn't do it. I appreciate he's trying to spin it there, Jim, but that's a poor result for Manchester City, no matter how you cut it.

21:50Luke Moore: It is, yeah, and they looked a little bit blunt, didn't they, when they were chasing that second goal. It actually looked like they didn't really believe they would get it, which is unusual for Manchester City and the body language of a few of those players, Erling Haaland in particular and Bernardo Silva as well, really noticeably, they looked like sort of sick of themselves a bit, looked really frustrated with themselves, which is a sign that, you know, something's really, really awry. And I mean, you've been saying all season about how... And last season. And last season, that they, you know, they've not had the...

22:20Luke Moore: Sorry, stop a sec. Well done, Mark. Yeah, well done, mate. Yeah, yeah, carry on. Okay. That they've kind of lost that sort of aura of invincibility. And I think looking at how frustrated the players look there, it's hard to kind of disagree with that. Well, this is something I've been saying, you know, this season in particular, Jim, in defence of Arsenal. So many people, myself included, have made observations of Arsenal saying they're not that convincing, they don't control games perhaps enough, you know, they struggle to break teams out. Everything you say about Arsenal can be said about Manchester City.

22:51Luke Moore: And I have an ounce of sympathy with Arsenal fans who have taken a lot of stick and largely rightly so, you might argue, online with certain things. What's the point of being online if you can't give people stick? That's what the internet is. That's not originally what it was for, Luke. No. It was originally for porno. Was it really? And cat videos. Yeah. All right. Well, how far we've come. Yeah. Well, I still do all three of those things. More of a dog man myself, but there we are. Well, careful. Yeah. In which category, Chris Kamara? You can do it all with the same brush stroke, so it's all fine.

23:29Luke Moore: But I think with Man City, they have gotten away with a lot, I think, this season. And I think a lot of the critics of Arsenal, as I say, can completely be applied to Man City, but for some reason, not that many people do it. Everyone expects them still, still to click in and oh, but they know what they're doing. And look, there's still time in that way. But even if they were to go on and win the league, it's a far cry. I think Arsenal have been slightly unfortunate with some of the criticism they've got because as I say, Man City are not pulling up trees and this performance and that manner of the performance and everything you just said there, Jim, I completely agree with.

24:05Luke Moore: and they can't hide from it now. So it's out in the open. To be honest though, Marcus, I think the reason for that is that the narrative is based around the fact that Arsenal finished second for three seasons in a row, right? So you have to wear that. You have to kind of understand that that is going to hang over you and people are going to judge you based against that. So I think that's a big part of where that comes from. That's fine. But in terms of the performances and the exciting football and the goals scored and blah, blah, blah. They are both, you know, at times struggling. but look again from a neutral point of view it makes for it's great because this is the weekend Arsenal won the Premier League do you think yeah it does feel like that because there's now a situation where it might be if Man City don't beat Chelsea Arsenal just need to win three games yeah if one of those games is against Man City but that's why I think you know the nine points clear and we're in the middle of March right there's the psychological impact of a League Cup final but you've got to take this stuff in in the round like Jim's spot on to say the reason that Arsenal have had this reputation and they're taking this stick and the fans are getting the criticism they're getting is because of the things they've done in the last three years and the reason Man City are being perhaps a touch overrated in your view is because of the things they've done which is everything they did do it last season and they're not doing it this season so I think that sure and that's okay that's fine I get it I think we're probably going to end up seeing that Arsenal are going to be the best team in the league this season and they're probably going to win the league if you look at the games Arsenal have got left right they've got home games in the league I've got it in front of me here home games against Bournemouth Fulham Burnley away games against West Ham Crystal Palace they've got a home game against Newcastle they're playing you know the teams they're playing is now at the point where you think it would be a catastrophic situation if they don't win the league they're nine points clear with those games left you'd love another North London derby wouldn't you they have to do it they have to do it I totally agree with you and I would say I would I would I would describe the situation going into this weekend we've just had as being it's still a title race Man City are still hanging on because there's little things like they've still got to play each other they've got to play each other in the League Cup 5 City have that game in hand City have got a game in hand all this kind of stuff like based on what we've seen this weekend City aren't going to be able to do it and so that's why I said at the start with Max Downman why it already feels like a massively significant moment for Arsenal and it will go on to be an even more significant one because people will look back and go middle of March traditionally when you do tend to see big things happen little slip ups big things go on this is when Arsenal did it that's how I feel about it and I've been talent man set your season alright answer me this then did Bernardo Silva mean that I think he did I think he did mean that I think that if you look at the angle from when the camera's facing him he doesn't really take his eyes off the goal the whole time I see I disagree with you I think he looks in the box does he maybe I missed it I think what he was doing either or it's a lovely one he was looking at Erling Haaland going this is how you do it mate yeah maybe he looked up and he thought if body language is bad I'll do it myself he's already missed five of these chances I don't think a player of that quality does something like that by accident the way he kicked the ball certainly would have testified to the fact that he was shooting I think he didn't look surprised when he scored did he I tend to think he meant it yeah I also think By which I mean, I think he meant it.

27:34I also think on the Man City thing, one of the things you could frame it as is the reason why they're not going to win the league this season, which I don't think they will, is when you put all your eggs in the basket, you put all your goal eggs in Erling Haaland's basket. It's nearly Easter. We can do this, right?

27:52Luke Moore: Eggs are universal as well. They're year-round. And he gets into a position where he scores, what is it, two Premier League goals in two months in the most important part of the season? you're not going to win the league. Busted flush. And the next, no, but the next best goal scorer for them is Phil Foden, who's also had a stop-start season and he's 15 goals behind Haaland in the league. There's no one else they seem to rely on. So that's a big problem. You know, I spoke on Friday about the squads and said that I think Man City, you know, maybe off the bench, they've got a bit more and stuff. Well, Arsenal scored 11 goals from subs in the Premier League.

28:25Luke Moore: Man City scored one goal from the bench. So they've got my silly face. If you add assists to that, that Arsenal have 21 goals and assists from the bench in the Premier League. That's seven more than Brighton who are in second in that particular stat. And a lot was made at the start of the season, understandably, about Arsenal's squad and how much stronger it is now than it has been in recent seasons. And if they're going to win the league, it will be because of that squad depth, which has been what's let them down before. Yeah, indeed it has. Right then, gentlemen, coming up after this, Chelsea huddled their way to defeat.

29:26We'll see you next time. Open to existing qualified primary, secondary and ECE teachers. Note that this grant is only dispersed after a teacher has arrived in New Zealand and meets the other accompanying criteria. Looking for soccer analysis more knowing than a Carlo Ancelotti eyebrow raise? With the World Cup around the corner, join me, Max Rushton, and the Guardian's expert soccer journalist on Football Weekly for all the latest soccer action and news throughout the week. We'll cover more ground than Drew Bellingham in a Champions League final with conversations sharper than an Arsenal set piece.

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31:23How many times I lose? Oh, my God. Pew, pew, pew. A lot. It's new? No. OK.

31:31Luke Moore: Well, about the Football Ramble, everybody. That was Pep Guardiola after Man City's draw with West Ham United. And thanks to Friend of the Ramble, Andrew, for sending us that clip. Of course, you can become a friend of the Ramble too. Search patreon.com forward slash football ramble. Click that button on YouTube to get involved. I don't think he should be able to do the press conference. I think he should have to do it on the Zoom like when you see prisoners giving evidence when they're already in jail because the punishment has to be proper. He was on the phone to Pep Linders the whole game. He should have to do the press conference like that as well.

31:58Luke Moore: Well, he did have to talk to Jules immediately and she bullied him like he was Vish. Yeah, I know. So that was good. She said she loves Pep. She said she loves interviewing him. He was being probably passive aggressive on this. He was. He's doing that maniacal thing where he's laughing but you know he's really angry. Yeah. Love it. Now, Chelsea were beaten 1-0 at home by Newcastle United dropping points in their fight for the Champions League. But the moment of the whole event happened just before the game, of course. The Chelsea players huddled around the centre spot, huddled around the ball to respect the ball.

32:27Luke Moore: Referee Paul Tierney didn't move. He was protecting the ball as well. There's a lot of people very concerned about the football. What's happening here? In a multi-ball situation as well? Yeah. It's not one individual ball. Paul Tierney stood his ground. The Chelsea players stood their ground. and it resulted in a very strange but wonderful image of the Chelsea players gathered round Paul Tierney, who stood there, and that glance he gives to the clamerate, That was iconic. Martin Freeman in the office. Yeah, it was. It's so good. That is not put in the football museum in Manchester. I rated it.

32:58I rated the look. Yeah. The sardonic smile is perfect.

33:02Luke Moore: So whose side are you on in this? It's a really difficult one. If you have to take sides, and by the way, I know you don't have to, but you have to, but you've got the Chelsea players they're doing the huddle but some were saying what's Paul Tierney doing he's being precious he should get off when I sit in this seat I have to take a side yeah as soon as I leave the studio I can just not think about it ever again but it's funny because I don't naturally feel like I side with referees that much I don't feel comfortable doing so but I also hate corporate away days and so I don't want to side with Liam Rossini either well he said it was the players I did not his so you would be siding with the players is not Liam Rosina.

33:41Yeah, but he also said loads of stuff about the culture and all this kind of shit. Yeah, well, all that. But my take initially, so I was away this weekend and I watched this game completely aside from Twitter and all the other shit. So I didn't really know what everyone else's takes were until this morning. And my instinctive take was the referee should just tell Chelsea players to get into their half. They want to do a huddle, they can do it. They need to do it in their own half. And the referee will say, I'll stay by the ball until we start the game.

34:07Luke Moore: Has that been a bit too officious though? maybe, maybe, but I don't see what the reason is for Chelsea having to do that. And I thought they were being kind of quite deliberately obnoxious in doing so. Especially when you take into account that a couple of weeks ago, Rossellini was chipping off about players warming up in his half. He mentioned that in the post-match as well. So to me, listen, I'm just pleased it happened. Come on, mate. Don't try and analyse it too much. Just be very happy that it happened. What do you think, Jim? What a weekend, Jim. We're talking about a 16-year-old who scored, Spurs in the relegation battle and now we're talking about a huddle with a referee in the play I mean what a weekend Firstly I think any Chelsea fans listening are probably pleased that we're talking about this more than the actual result because that is the story it must be an extremely frustrating result for them to have for them to have suffered I think so ultimately I side with Paul Tierney and I'll show I'll do the I'll show you the working out absolutely no way but I'll show you the working out right if Tierney had chinned three of them you'd have still sided with him But so I do think it's weird that he simply hasn't got out of the way.

35:13Luke Moore: It is. He has made this situation happen. He doesn't have to get out of their way if he doesn't want to. He doesn't have to. It's simply very weird that he doesn't. He can move. Yeah. So up to this point, I'm actually on Chelsea's side, right? Right, okay. Cole Palmer giving him that little hug and that little blanket to the camera is equally funny. That's a big part of the maelstrom of this. It looked like Cole Palme was saying, I'm also really confused about this. I really know why this is going on. He was the Gareth Keenan in that kind of situation. And you look a bit like my dad. I don't know why this is happening, but let me show the working markers.

35:48Luke Moore: It gets to the press conference and Liam Resignia said, I don't know why he's doing this. That's mad. It's like, I'm on board so far. It's like, it wasn't my idea. It was the players. Okay, fair enough. Again, you're blameless in this. And then he says they were doing it to respect the ball. and I simply cannot get on board with that. How do you disrespect a ball? Yeah. If anything, kicking it really hard is disrespecting it. If they all stood around like spitting on it or the opposition and I, it's like that's out of order. I'll tell you what, Wesley Vafana disrespected the ball for Newcastle's goal.

36:20Letting Gordon just run past him. That's true.

36:23Luke Moore: You're speeding your cast. Look at your speed now. Do a little dink, a little pre-dink as well. You love speed apparently. You love it. Yeah. Put a referee behind you. But listen, put a traffic officer behind him. He's all right. That's what they should do. They should have someone with a miles per hour sign. Yeah. Just get it in his eye like, woof. Why are those speed guns? There you go. Marcus, do you respect the ball? I always respect the ball, as you know. To be fair, Marcus does respect the ball. And how do you practice that? Just being a normal human being. I don't need to do some weird ritual.

36:54Luke Moore: But I did enjoy, for all the wrong reasons, Rosina talking about this and said, you know, but if Paul had focused more on his job, which was to make the right decisions, we'd have had a penalty today which I loved on match of the day when they spoke about that because you think about that you think that's a big moment that's going to be a big moment they literally they showed the replay and went do you think it was meant nah I didn't think it was meant nah I moved on and I'm sure they did that to mug him off a little bit which is quite enjoyable but I've got Paul Tenney's face was an iconic face great mug to the camera that shows a bit of showbiz a bit of showbiz DNA in Paul Tenney which I didn't expect well I like that but yeah was it as good as the look to camera that that that fella does when he's reaching for that bottle of beer on, was it New Year's Eve in Manchester or something?

37:36Luke Moore: And he's like one of those Greek gods. Oh, yeah, the line on the pavement. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a Renaissance page. A Renaissance page, exactly. Not a Greek god. Yeah, yeah. Because he's looking at the camera, isn't he? Yeah. I think it's up there with that. I haven't made that connection. But it also was a look of a man who was like, I mean, I literally stand there every game. And this has never happened to me before. Like, why is this suddenly happening now? Nothing's prepared, my goodness. No, no. I don't know but look he didn't move he didn't give a foul for Chelsea imagine he booked every single one of them that would have been sensational wouldn't it Rosini would be straight on the pitch yellow car for you as well we should have led with this I actually thought about on the way and I thought about texting the group saying we should leave with this because this is much better than fucking that other boring shit really yeah yeah yeah but this is right Paul Tierney's creating history let's get it right he should have picked up the ball he should have picked up the ball and asked if it was okay.

38:31Luke Moore: Paul Tilly's created art. Yeah, he has, exactly. Right, okay. No one respects the ball more than Paul Tilly. It's a gift for the ages. It's great. Really good. Absolutely magnificent. I like the Photoshop one of old Tindall in the middle, but there we are. But Newcastle United and Tindall and co were smiling at the end of the game because they won 1-0. And we said on Friday that it would be interesting how these two approach this because they've got huge games midweek. Newcastle United are much more alive in their tie. I know Chelsea are at home but 5-2 down against the current champions is rather tricky.

39:03Chelsea are going home. Chelsea are going home in the Champions League. They're not turning around three goals.

39:07Luke Moore: They certainly are at home. They're not turning around three goals against the European champions. It's not happening. Fine. But Newcastle, that is... We were trying to work out, weren't we, that is that their season to pile it all in into this game in the Champions League because they can... It would be such a momentous thing. It would be such a performance for the ages if they can get through. And I genuinely believe they can. But also, to say, right well that's our route back into European competition this season is also a long shot let's be honest but with that victory we think fifth place is going to be a Champions League spot in the Premier League this season Newcastle has seven points off it but with Chelsea and Liverpool not really pulling up too many trees and Brentford and Everton the other sides in between Newcastle and that fifth spot a late flourish and a late run is surely the only thing I'd be deeply concerned if I was a Chelsea fan at the moment you can't do all that kind of furniture around the fuck like I say it's like their whole club is like a LinkedIn post the owners of Chelsea you can't concede a goal like that let's not get it twisted right we haven't mentioned this yet and we need to mention it the manner in the goal they conceded against Newcastle was a fuss it was so bad like they pushed and pushed for the first 18 minutes or whatever it was couldn't open the door Newcastle hit them on the break and it was like schoolboy stuff.

40:30I'm joking about Fofana, but he wasn't even running. He was jogging back. A complete lack of self-awareness, a complete lack of effort. And if you're going to concede goals like that in the running, and that's how you intend to set up for the running, there's no way they're going to finish in the top five. No way. The problem is they've been dogged with inconsistency, and I don't know whether they can iron that out between now and the end of the season. That said, it does look like Villa and Liverpool are struggling. Well, they're doing the same. That's the thing.

41:00Luke Moore: It's one win in five Premier League games for Chelsea, which in theory is not good enough form for that situation. But as you say, the teams around them seem to be suffering a similar kind of malaise. Yeah, I mean, I think right now at Chelsea, it's been happening for a little while. Their season will fizzle out. Yeah, but I think there's real problems in that club. The fan base are furious or getting more furious with every passing week at the state of play. and the owners of that club, you know, it's... Where do you go? I understand that they are much higher in the table and they've been much more successful even in the last two years than, say, Spurs.

41:41Luke Moore: But the heat that the board are getting now at Chelsea, you know, you're not that far away from that. You know, it's ludicrous. I mean, even with the pricing of the tickets for the PSG game, you know, I genuinely have sympathies with Chelsea fans at the moment because that club is being run very, very poorly. But anyway, I want to turn our attention, though, to Anthony Gordon and some of the comments he made post-match, if I may. This was an incredibly salty game all round, wasn't it? Lovely ding-dong with Rooney. Yeah. Can't wait for Rooney's response. I mean, Shearer and Rooney, you've got to admire the...

42:12Luke Moore: The clock. The chutzpah on the back. Yeah. I enjoyed it. I mean, he pushed back on comments made by Alan Shearer and Rooney who'd questioned his commitment when he didn't start against Barcelona. He obviously came on, but it came out that he'd been ill. I mean, he said himself he'd been in bed for three days. It was weird. Sorry to cut in, but the preface to this is weird because you would think that Alan Shearer would have really good contacts at Newcastle and would be able to text someone and say, what the hell, why isn't Gordon starting? And someone could have just said, he's been sick. And that'd have been that.

42:44And that's obvious. Look how pale he looked. Yeah, yeah. He's been sick for 20 years. And then, but for Gordon to come out and address it directly was really good. Well, I like that, yeah.

42:58Luke Moore: He said, saying I didn't want to play in the biggest game of my career is absolute nonsense. He said, I think Rooney said I went past and didn't shake their hands and went into the changing room. I didn't. I got changed myself in a changing room. It was just me in a sink. Yeah, why did he say that? Well, I think because he was been ill. Yeah, but why did he talk about the sink? Oh, I just, a bit of colour, innit? Yeah, a little detail. Yeah. You know. If you don't believe me, why was there a sink? Exactly. It is odd. It was like I was in prison. they need to do better at what they are doing. So I agree with him on this, right?

43:26Luke Moore: Because we are in an era now where there is just so much opinion and there is so much media and we're grateful for that because we get to be a part of it. But I do think there is this idea that players don't have a right of reply and they're being unprofessional if they rise to things like that. And if someone's saying something like that about you and you're in Anthony Gordon's shoes, you absolutely have the right of reply and that's not controversial. And I agree. It shouldn't be unusual. I mean, Rooney's also a really good pundit, I think. Yeah. A really good, he's becoming a really good broadcaster.

43:56I like listening to him. He'll definitely come back on this and he'll probably, I wouldn't be surprised if he just comes out and says, I must have got it wrong. I'm sorry about that. He's kind of that kind of guy. Yeah.

44:04Luke Moore: And so is Alan Shearer. Oh yeah. Alan won't double down. No, no, no. But it was interesting to see Gordon do it directly because I actually hadn't seen the comments that Rooney and Shearer made first. I just saw Gordon's response first because it was shared in my time. I was like, that's a bit punchy. What's going on?

44:22lot of stick anyway. If you get a lot of stick for, you know, enjoying all the privileges and trappings of being a top footballer and taking the plaudits when people talk about how great you are and you play shit or you make a mistake and people criticise, I think that's fair enough. If it's wrong, if it's factually wrong, absolutely Gordon should come out.

44:37Luke Moore: Especially when it's questioning his mentality, which is really unfair. I'm surprised Eddie Howe let him do it though. Eddie Howe's quite dry, isn't he? Yeah, maybe he didn't realise. He probably didn't. He's asked Jason first. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This has been put in the running order. It wasn't me who put it in there, but I'm just saying that Thomas Tuchel was in attendance at Stamford Bridge a place he knows well nice to hear about where he is Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento Tino Livramento's ball to Joe Willock in the build up for the goal lovely one fantastic Tio Livramento also came through at Chelsea didn't he those two on the plane I'm telling you that won't be that's not a huge shout but one I wanted to make now talking of Champions League spots and whatnot Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United third they're only seven points behind Man City they're fresher than Bird of Glimp though aren't they yeah they're probably playing fewer games I know playing like one game a month yeah yeah it's you know Carrick if he can get them into the Champions League next season which surely they're nailed on for that now which surely which surely will I mean this is it again a few months in football imagine a few months ago saying to Man United fans don't worry mid-March Jim Campbell will be saying you're nailed on for Champions League football next season my goodness they wouldn't have believed you but you're right They've got the sort of broken-down war horses of Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool just thrashing around behind them.

45:56Luke Moore: That is helping! But still, Man United does. No, but I mean, obviously, the schedule is playing a massive, massive part in this. And obviously, that's fair play to Man United. You've got to take advantage of it, and they're doing a really good job of doing that. But they are in an unusual set of circumstances that are quite favourable to them, and they're taking advantage. Well, they certainly do. With every performance, it looks worse for Ruben Amarin. like what on earth have they been doing for the majority of the season he tried to play Bruno Fernandes a little bit deeper yeah I mean bearing in mind that Bruno Fernandes was managed for a chunk of the season by Ruben Amorim so for him to get his 16th assist of the season and break David Beckham's record for Manchester United with assists in one season is remarkable he's a player perhaps we don't talk about I thought he was unplayable I mean he is still one of the best players in the league in Europe I'd go as far as to say yeah why not I don't think there's a team in the world where you could put him in that squad and think he wouldn't he wouldn't certainly contribute as a starter the only thing I would say though Jim to that is yes if we're going to get a bit beardy on it I think Fernandes suits a system where he is the linchpin does he respect the ball enough for Chelsea for example maybe not 16 assists would show that he does respect the ball a great deal but again remember a number of months ago he was getting heavily criticised by Roy Keane funnily enough and others about his body language and he's throwing his arms up and he's having a bit of a temper tantrum and should he be the captain and this, that and the other.

47:20Luke Moore: But, you know, he has been such a consistent in that side despite all these years. You know, he's a Man United legend. He will go down as one in sort of recent times because in this period where he has been... He's been Michael Caine in the Muppet Christmas Carol. There you go. Hasn't he? We said that. Yeah. Or we might have said that about Simon Cappell. No, I know, but I just feel that we haven't maybe spoken about him as much, certainly in recent months and I wanted to... That stat is a great stat because it shows you all the qualities of Bruno Fernandes the record for Premier League assists in a season by a single player is 20 jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne who are two unquestionable Premier League greats but it also shows and they're proper assists they're not like just passes it and then someone is a pile driver from 30 yards well I don't know what all of them are like but his assist for Kuni's goal in the Villa game yeah for sure but the point I was going to make as well is that it also shows David Beckham in a pretty good light because a lot of people even at the time of Beckham's career would have him down as his fancy Zidane type guy and since he's retired ages ago a lot of younger fans won't have seen him play was he actually that good was he just a bit of a cultural phenomenon the answer is he was both those things he was a brilliant player as well and the fact that he still had the record for assists in the season for Manchester United tells its own story so all round very good behaviour Fernandes was unplayable against Vila he was really good I loved seeing Casemiro score in another near post header yeah it's brilliant he's going to do every single game until he finishes.

48:47I think so. I hope so.

48:48Luke Moore: They're a threat in the air. If Casemiro's not popping up at the near post, Harry Maguire will pick it up the pieces somewhere else. There's also a situation with Villa where if they don't finish in the Champions League places now, then it's going to be because they have started and ended the season like genuinely really poorly. They lost three Premier League games in a row now. One winning seven as well. It took them so long to win their first Premier League game. It was something like end of September or something and that's ultimately ultimately what's going to cause them to miss out if they do miss out.

49:19They're sinking like a stone. But they've got the Europa League. They have. They do have the Europa League. Maybe they're just doing an engine focusing on that now.

49:24Luke Moore: Quite possibly. They've also got Ross Barkley. Lovely to see him scoring. It was, yeah. Lovely, lovely. If only Thomas Tuchel was at Old Trafford, eh? Yeah. Well, will he watch the highlights? I don't know. I imagine he will. This is John. Perhaps the whole game. That's the minimum I expect. Did you see Ross Barkley? No, I haven't watched the highlights yet. What? the three minute highlights on YouTube I always watch Mass of the Day that's me done for the day looks at the clock 9.08am right to the golf course me thinks oh dear coming up after this Spurs save a point

50:04do you want your soccer analysis more direct than an Arsenal set piece join me Max Rushton and the Guardian's expert soccer journalist for the latest action and news from the Premier League to the Champions League and all the way to the World Cup. We'll have chat more out of the box than a Dominic Sobber's live free kick, more panellists than Chelsea have players, and unlike VAR, we know where to draw the line. For fine margins, fun debates, and full-blooded tackles, Football Weekly, listen wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on YouTube. Over 90 of the top 100 US accounting firms trust Bill to simplify and secure Bill Pay.

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51:24Luke Moore: liverpool won tottenham hottestper one tottenham got their first point under eagle judah my goodness keeping harry redneck from the door yes he said he heard all the all the chat Little pigs, little pigs, terrific little pigs. All he's been doing is listening to Talk Sport at Cheltenham. Oh, yeah. The whole weekend. He's like, right, I have to get something. Otherwise, Harry's going to be here with Tim Sherwood and all the rest of them. Could this be a really bad thing for Spurs, though? Because it means you don't stick around for a long time. It means papers over the cracks, right? There was chat around the end of Thomas Frank's regime where some fans I know were like, we don't want results under Frank.

52:03Luke Moore: Get him gone. I think now we are 30 games deep in this Premier League season and they are in a relegation battle. I think any point, yes, I take your point, but I think that point that they got at Anfield, you've got to take it. A point at Anfield is always a really, there's always a positive to it, whoever you are. If you're in this situation, it's a great point. They fought and they battled in a way that we've not really seen from them so much. A lot of this was to do with Liverpool simply being unable to control games, as we've seen. And it's quite extreme that when this Tottenham team come to town under a man who doesn't appear to know who Arna Slott is or like football.

52:43Luke Moore: That was one of the moments of the weekend. Max Delman and Paul Tierney understandably have pushed him into third place. But when Igor Tudor goes up to whoever it was, I forget his name, but it wasn't Arna Slott. He's just not bothered. He's not bothered looking at anything. He's bald, isn't he, the guy? Yeah, all right, man. Listen, just tell me the time the coach was leaving. just all I need to know I'm not doing anything I'm not sure it was such a great moment but I mean that should be an energising point for Spurs we know they're in a crisis we don't know if it's going to work out like that I'd like to take a moment to talk about how quite often you see a certain section of Liverpool fans talking about how they're scouse but not English I think we need to take them at face value and kick them out of the Premier League based on this because this is unacceptable what are you doing yeah we're all trying to make this happen you've got to play your part yeah it's true and by the way the part you've got to play it's not even a hard part just fucking beat Spurs everyone else does it everyone else does it man what are you fucking doing you're at home yeah even Fulham did it you went a goal ahead Vicario I'll tell you what I could have saved that free kick yeah I mean because your hand would have been on the ball already right exactly but do you think Sir Bozla he was thinking to himself alright normally I have to I'll just aim for the target normally he's like you know kiss the post on the way he's one of the very best free kick takers I've ever seen.

54:02Luke Moore: You also know which side he's going to go. That was not a great free kick. It went in. It did. That's all that matters because the stats will say that's his fourth direct free kick of the season. Which is incredible. And they all count, right? But I do think there's this kind of serious point here which is just that whether it's because they've lost key players, whether it's because they've signed players that have upset the balance, whether it's to do with an inertia having won the Premier League in front of their fans for the first time in so long, whether it's Diogo Jota, I suspect it's all these things.

54:33But Liverpool, they've just been so tepid at key moments. They've just been so underwhelming when it really matters. And the very idea that you can't close out a win at home against this version of Tottenham is possibly one of the more damning things that have happened to them this season in the league. If you look at the kind of results they've had, and they're still there or thereabouts in terms of Champions League qualification. I think that's a minimum they'd probably expect, sorry, accept. But even the sort of, you know, when they lose, maybe they lose at home 3-0 to Forest. That's probably the only other time you think that's been really that bad.

55:15You know, they lose to Bournemouth. It's kind of live all, you know, it's life and death. It could have gone either way. They lose, I think, a couple of times to Man City. Yeah, that can happen. You know, Crystal Palace, that's away from home, you know. Maybe they don't want to lose at home to United. but again it's a fairly close scoreline. Spurs are on their fucking knees. This is the worst version of Spurs in Premier League history. They've been so bad and to not close that out and to also not even that it was almost like it felt a bit like Liverpool were lucky not to lose the game. Spurs had a lot of the ball

55:47Luke Moore: a lot of chances. I mean there's a couple of things I would say about Liverpool. I don't know what it is but when and you saw it when was it Kala Mawani who set Richarlison up yeah when an opposition player has the ball in the Liverpool box or even near the box it happened against Wolves as well when Wolves beat Liverpool I forgot they lost to Wolves that's undermined my point that was also bad that was bad it's like the defenders it's almost like one of the opposition players is playing a testimonial and oh well let's let him score they just they don't engage and it was again right at the last second as well there's like the intensity is just completely switched off.

56:28Luke Moore: I do not understand it. And this has happened a number of times. And the intensity to Liverpool is just nothing. I mean, Tep is the word. You already said it. There's that. In terms of bigger picture for Liverpool, I think if they do not get Champions League, despite all the reasons for this season that you mapped out earlier there, Luke, if they don't get into the Champions League and with Xabi Alonso being available, I think that may be it for slot. Some Liverpool fans would say, not even that, even if they do get Champions League and so on, they would be happy to see him go. But this squad needs a refresh in the summer, which seems mad considering the money.

57:07Luke Moore: And I understand they spent 125 million boys on Isak last summer. But you think about the money that they did spend last summer. This squad needs a refresh. They need other players. The back line, you know, one or two players not getting any younger. They need some... Refresh is the word, I would say. I mean, they got unlucky with Giovanni Leone getting injured at the start of the season. He's a young player and he probably wouldn't have been earmarks to sort of come in as a starter. But that was unfortunate. They certainly need to bring in another central defender. Whether they need to replace Mo Salah or not, we don't really know.

57:39Luke Moore: Based on the players they brought in, perhaps that's already been taken care of. But I think Dominic Saboslay's comments after the game to sort of move back to that were very interesting. He was suggesting that they don't really know why it's happening. I kind of understand that from a player. you get the same impression from Slott every time he speaks like he's a little bit kind of just out of ideas as to how to fix it and that's the most damning thing of it well it is yeah I think like I said I think come the summer they need to make a number of signings and refresh is the word I'm looking for not refresh as I oddly was saying minutes earlier refresh I think you can see both maybe if you're chanting it like Americans like when they go defend refresh I think I would say refresh would you?

58:16Luke Moore: yeah don't worry about it you're among friends well it's very refreshing for you to say that I'm just reading that Ego Tudor of the guy the bald gentleman he greeted on the touchline was Paul Tierney no apparently it's actually a Spurs employee actually no well that explains it that makes it better if he doesn't know who that guy is I assumed it was a Liverpool employee apparently it was a player liaison officer Alan Dixon no but all that means is he's genuinely just saying hello to a man he knows unfortunately to me we can spin that another way absolutely not we can spin that another way we can say that he's got so little interest in them that he just confused them.

58:54Sure, yeah. Or maybe because he's bald himself. He's got a lot of respect for bald people. True, true. But if you look at the picture of Alan Dixon holding the Europa League trophy, he does look quite similar to Slott. Well, he does look similar.

59:09Luke Moore: You're not having that, Jim? Nah, they're just two different bald men, aren't they? Yeah. Well, they literally are. Do they look like Frank Black? Not really, no. There you go. No. Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley Larry David Here we go Here we go Right said Fred Take your pick Carlos Bilardo Show at footballroundworld.com For any more examples of bald men Yeah Keep us refreshed Yeah exactly We don't want to use the same references over and over again That Spurs Liverpool game was so frustrating What about Richarlison Are we happy for him? No Why not? He's a better Impossible I was One thing you've got to say for Richarlison though Is that among you know among a squad that do look extremely demoralised and some of whom you could accuse of not really trying you can never say that about Richarlison he's always always looking to contribute and you can see the passion he's got for it his attitude embodies what they need and he is setting an example he must be so shit in training because he never starts but that's why I was genuinely quite pleased I mean he had chances this is the thing about Liverpool I know we've already talked about it I don't want to go but the writing was on the wall Alisson was having to make saves and there we are But I mean, Liverpool have now conceded eight Premier League goals in the 90th minute or later this season, which is the most in the single campaign, overtaking seven in the 2010-11 days of Roy Hodgson.

1:00:27Luke Moore: Wow. I also think they're probably going to end up being a part of a 20-point drop-off from last season. I think it's going to be... So unless Leicester have done more, which they probably have, it's hard to remember a team that have dropped off more than that. They probably will be... I mean, Chelsea had a big drop-off when Mourinho's... when he won the league, when they were a little horse, then they won the league and then they dropped off. That was a big one as well. But Liverpool won it of 84 points, didn't they? And this year they're going to be lucky to get to 60. Blimey. Yeah. What a drop off indeed.

1:00:56Luke Moore: But a precious point for Spurs, nonetheless, whether you're a fan of Igor Tudor or not, and they play Nottingham Forest next Sunday. Now, this is a massive game. This is going to be absolutely huge and extremely entertaining, I would imagine. And I think that, look. Apart from the football. They have to, Spurs have to understand, I'm sure they do, but just make the point. that getting a point for the first time in however many games is not going to save you on its own from relegation they're still one point off of relegation they would have been out of the relegation on goal difference had they lost the game against Liverpool provided they didn't lose by 13 goals or something which wasn't going to happen or 12 goals but the situation is this Forest game is the biggest game of their season and Forest at the moment are marginally a better side than them but you don't agree with that so on the form table they've got three times the amount of points right sure the thing that worries me about Forrest is that form table Jim yeah three points to one so I appreciate they were very very unlucky with Dan and Doy being denied that goal because it's really really marginal but you know those things happen because the line has to be drawn somewhere they've scored one goal from their last 99 shots at Forrest and I just I just I just think right if If Forest, West Ham and Spurs all stay as they are, if none of them have an uptick in form, and West Ham is showing that a bit, they're all trying to have a significant uptick in form.

1:02:23Luke Moore: None of them are really managing it. If they all stay as they are, I think it will be Forest to go. Well, if they all stay as they are, it will literally be West Ham and go. You know what he's saying. No, no, but they're out of it on goal difference, right? Yeah, but look, the only thing I would say is, you know, Forest v. Fulham, I hope nobody else watched that game. I didn't watch it. Yeah, no, you made the right choice. I mean, it really was. Forrest were the side who were the more ambitious. Again, a very marginal offside. Olaina smacked the bar. That was a lovely shot. It was, yeah. They were the more likely.

1:03:00Luke Moore: With about 15 minutes to go. And amazing, I lasted that long. I remember going, very happy with the point here. Thank you, Fulham. But there was a bit of battling spirit. There was a bit of something. So I think it's utterly intriguing. going into these last, you know, what is it, eight games, three really big sides. Each of them will be thinking, what on earth are we doing down there? Perhaps West Ham, maybe in the grander scheme of things, what's been going on, you know, in recent seasons and so on. You could, you know, understand that a bit more. But we have a proper relegation battle on our hands with three teams, certainly two of which we didn't think were down there.

1:03:36Luke Moore: Yeah, absolutely. It is absorbing. And of course, West Ham go away to Villa and kick off at the same time as Nottingham Forest and Spurs next week. It looks like one from four now because Leeds could be dragged into it. Yeah. And then we've got the League Cup final, of course, later next Sunday and the North East Derby early. So I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. It's not the preview show, but that, ladies and gentlemen, should be a superb Sunday. A Susan-perb Sunday. A Susan Sunday. Exactly, yeah. Thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the ACAST Creator Network.

1:04:06Luke Moore: We're back tomorrow for the mailbag, so get involved with that and subscribe to the Football Ramble to make sure you do not miss it. You'd be a ruddy fool to do so. You can be a fool, but don't be a ruddy fool. No, no, no, no, absolutely not. So we look forward to seeing you for the Mailbag. Thank you very much, Luke. Thank you. Thank you, Jim. Thank you. And thank you, fantastic Max Dalman.

1:04:34The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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